The Effective Use of Small Non-dehydrating Doses of Epsom Salt in Epilepsy: A Study of One Hundred and Nine Cases.

ELEVATION of blood magnesium to excess produces coma.' Elevation of blood magnesium in moderation produces drowsiness. This sedative effect is applied therapeutically in the control of uraemic 2 and eclamptic 3 convulsions by intravenous magnesium sulphate. The converse of this, depression of blood magnesium, produces parathyroid tetany. The latter has been developed experimentally in rats 4 on diets deficient in magnesium and may occur clinically with low blood magnesium.5 Nevertheless, there is no change in magnessemia after removal of the parathyroid glands in animals.6 Convulsions with hypomagnessemia have been described in other conditions, such as chorea and pneumonia.5 Hirschfelder 5 recently reported 10 patients with low blood magnesium, who suffered from convulsions or muscular twitchings. Four of these patients had kidney lesions. After single 20 to 25 gm. doses of Epsom salt were administered by mouth to these four, the magnesium in the plasma rose almost to double the normal concentration within four to six hours, and the twitchings or seizures subsided. Hirschfelder concluded that convulsions are relieved by oral magnesium sulphate in patients with renal insufficiency.